Stories

When does political loyalty cease to be an expression of shared principles and become an abdication of independent judgment?

Davina Hurt, director, government ethics, reflects on the historic 2026 midterm election results, which resulted in major shifts in both the U.S. House and Senate, and result in a massive shift in political power. She raises questions about democracy, loss of public trust, and a responsibility to ethical leadership in governance.

Drawing an analogy with Hamlin's story of the Pied Piper, where "Pied Piper’s greatest power was not simply his ability to play a captivating tune. It was his ability to persuade others to follow without questioning where their journey would end."

Hurt reminds us that In a democracy, voters retain the right to question the destination a leader is asking them to follow, and says voters have a responsibility to reconsider promises and withdraw their support when they don't like the direction. She says, "Political loyalty is not a debt citizens owe their leaders. It is a trust that leaders must continually earn."

"Political cooperation is essential to governing. But cooperation becomes ethically troubling when loyalty to an individual displaces the obligation to question, deliberate and act independently," writes Hurt.

"An election can change the balance of power overnight. It cannot, by itself, restore public trust or guarantee ethical leadership. That requires leaders willing to place constitutional responsibility above political convenience, institutions prepared to exercise meaningful oversight, and citizens who refuse to surrender their judgment to the most compelling voice in the room."

Davina Hurt, director, government ethics, published by Salon.